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Putnam County Commission Chair Ben Rodgers said educating new commissioner’s on how the county handles debt will be a focus moving forward. That after the Park View School bond was denied by commissioners in a 12 to 12 vote this week. Several commissioners voiced concern about the bond increasing taxes even though the proposal did not include one. Rodgers said ... Read More »

Putnam County 911 Director Penny Foister said the county may need a new computer aided dispatch system in the near future. Foister reported to the Putnam County Emergency Communications Board Thursday saying the current vendor may require an update. Foister said the system calculates call information and determines who to page. “We are hearing rumors that Central Square may send ... Read More »

The Tennessee Civil War Trails program has installed a new sign in Monterey highlighting the life of General John Thomas Wilder. Wilder was an Union officer during the Civil War. He was also a coal-company owner that led to the development of the unincorporated town Wilder in Fentress County. Cultural Administrator Rafferty Cleary said the historical marker is located on ... Read More »

A new restaurant coming to Cookeville will bring more than 100 jobs to the community. Drake’s a restaurant that serves burgers and sushi planned for the Shoppes at Eagle Point. The Kentucky-based company has 19 locations across Alabama, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and North Carolina. Chief operating Officer Mark Thornburg said the plan is to open in July of next year. ... Read More »

A California-based food manufacturing company named Overton County as its first out-of-state expansion location. HealthVerve Food Manufacturing USA, Inc. will construct a new manufacturing operation creating some 200 new jobs. The State Department of Economic and Community Development announced the $2.2 million investment Thursday. The company purchasing the old 7-Up Bottling Building also known as the Livingston Chocolate Factory on ... Read More »

Algood city services will continue to run as normal following the arrest of Public Works Director and Fire Chief Victor Jones. City Administrator Keith Morrison said those positions have been filled in the interim with individuals from the department. “They can run the facilities as needed and I’ll help oversee it and help them where they need it and we’ve ... Read More »

York Institute celebrating an achievement with recently-released state ACT scores. The school demonstrated the highest growth in the percentage of students meeting the overall ACT composite benchmark of 21 with a 13 percentage point increase from 2021. School Director John Bush: “There’s not a single silver bullet to unlocking this, but I think it’s a multifaceted approach,” Bush said. “I’m ... Read More »

A missed opportunity. That is how two Putnam County School Board members described the county commission’s decision Tuesday night. A new school bond to build the upper grade wing of the new Park View School failed in a 12 to 12 vote. School Board Chair Kim Cravens said doubling the schools capacity for $16.5 million likely a price that will ... Read More »

White County Schools want to open a new cybersecurity and coding program of study. CTE Director Lane Ward said it is one of the ideas the district has considered for a possible $1.5 million state CTE grant. Ward said student interest has grown large enough to create the courses. “One of the reasons that’s a focus of ours, because we ... Read More »

Putnam County Schools will have additional funding to repair the Park View Elementary School roof. The Upperman High School addition came in some $2 million under budget. Director of Schools Corby King said the leftover federal COVID money can be used to help the county fund the $1.7 million project. “From the school system’s side if we are able to ... Read More »